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Civilisation and Savagery

Uploaded by sweet serenity on Apr 29, 2001

When the boys first arrived on the island they automatically seeked for some kind of law and order since there are not any grown-ups. They want to belong to a group, with someone in charge to lead them, and make them feel safe. After being chosen in a democratic election, Ralph becomes this leader.

Ralph's society becomes a symbol of the democratic society, where everyone has their rights and an equal say. He assigned the choir as hunters and Jack the position of being the leader of them. The conch becomes an important symbol for authority and civilisation, anyone who holds it has the right to be heard. In Ralph's society everyone works for the benefit of the whole group. Building shelters, looking for food and keeping the fire alive are the three most important issues.

After a period of time this society starts to brake up. With the fear of the 'beastie', the boys have become terrified of this 'creature' which lead up to the death of Simon and then Piggy. But there is a difference between these two deaths, as Simon's death was accidental and Piggy's death was deliberate. This shows the darkness inside man's heart, which is released when mankind becomes savages. Fear is what provokes savagery, as Roger lost control of his actions because of fear. With the destruction of the conch along with the death of Piggy, it also shows the destruction of authority and civilisation.

Jack and the hunters show that mankind are inheritantly evil, if left alone to take care of themselves, fear will turn tem into the savage roots of the ancestors. This is shown near the end of the novel with the killing of piggy and the hunting of Ralph. Though at first Jack felt guilty for killing Simon, because he was still civilised, however as time goes on it turns into a thirst for blood, to kill anything that stands in his way to become the leader of the island.

Ralph represents fairness and morality while Jack represents evil and the decay of civilisation. Piggy symbolizes the law and order of the world they left behind. He attempts to act accordingly to an absolute set of standards. Roger symbolizes man's natural tendency to cause harm to others, as he evolves into a terrorist, a savage, eager to throw rocks, roll boulder and throw spears at his fellow tribe members and act as...